Suggested Reading Class Format

6 thoughts on “Suggested Reading Class Format”

1. Nathan Black

   October 12, 2010 at 5:46 pm

   Thanks so much for posting this Ben. I recognize some of what I do here, but this entire format really just is much more well-rounded than what I’ve been doing up until now. I never even thought of giving them the reading to just digest on their own before diving in as a class. Basically that allows them to map the reading terrain for themselves to self-identify what is easy vs. hard for them to decode.
   Thank you again for the details; you’ve been really going out of your way lately to be explicit like this and it’s definitely appreciated.

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2. Ben Slavic

   October 12, 2010 at 6:30 pm

   Yeah Nathan the format works for me.
   Today I re-read Stephen Krashen’s short book “Foreign Language Teaching – The Easy Way.” It is such a gem. I am going to ask him if I can take entire paragraphs from it and post them here. The guy lays it out.
   I really do feel that when we are clear with each other about processes that we use in our own classrooms, then we can tweak them to reflect what we want to do ourselves. I would say that is the main purpose of this site. I feel that the years of knowing in our hearts and minds that this is the way to teach are now giving way to the stunning fact that if we keep talking and sharing and being clear, then we can actually do it. In that way, we can avoid meltdowns (all too common in this frightening environment of accepted disrespect for teachers), like the guy who lost it in his math class in Nashville yesterday (see blog today entitled I Feel Ya’, Brother).

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3. skip

   October 12, 2010 at 6:45 pm

   “I really do feel that when we are clear with each other about processes that we use in our own classrooms, then we can tweak them to reflect what we want to do ourselves. ”
   The tweaking will also come from watching other teachers…. This is SO clear to me after our two days together…… We must engage in peer coaching if we are to improve to the next level….

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4. Ben Slavic

   October 12, 2010 at 8:22 pm

   That is why Peter and Johnna may not be totally aware of the impact their risk taking had on the others. It was, as you suggest Skip, instructional. It’s going to have to be that way – we have to get the coaching thing down now. The decades of arguing about whether it works or not are over. Of course it works. I don’t think that Dr. Krashen keeps getting to deeper and deeper levels of this stuff (even after three decades of directing and sorting out and collaborating on perhaps tens of thousands of studies for us) just for the heck of it. We step up and take a few swings. So what if we strike out? At least we’re swinging the bat. And not just any bat – it’s a Krashen Slugger.

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5. Lynn

   October 13, 2010 at 3:36 pm

   While they first read the chapter I put the text up on the screen with some twexting of words that I think they may struggle with. I give them a little time, then move it forward.
   When we read together, I use the twexted version on the overhead and my laser pointer. The rule is they must stick with the pointer! that keeps their voices pretty much uniform.
   I’ve started reading in French with them as well. a paragraph or so that is projected on the screen.
   Sometimes I do a dictation but I’ve also tried full answer or paritial answer questions on the most important points of the chapter.

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6. Ben Slavic

   October 13, 2010 at 4:06 pm

   Of course all such content, any content from any class, can morph into a word chunk team game toward the end of class. Today I read stuff out of Pirates for translation but all in the Word Chunking Activity format (benslavic.com/resources/workshop handouts) to end a long block in my level two classes. It was fun and sends the message that any content in any class is fair game for Word Chunk glory on any given day.

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